When you die, quickly pause the game before the screen turns black, then select "Warp Room". You will return to the warp room without losing any lives.

Earning gems

In any level, to earn a gem get all of the boxes. This also boosts your lives and apples.

Easy Gems, Relics, and Crystals

Do not collect everything at once in a level so you can get 100% game completion faster. Instead, use the following little trick to get all powers from the guardians. This is the order you should do it. First, do not get all Boxes and avoid Bonus Platforms to get 25 Crystals to defeat the Masks. Then, if you have defeated Cortex, return for the Gems and collect them before Uka Uka and Cortex. Next, this is the hardest challenge. Use all your effort and special powers and be as a quick as possible. Make sure you use the Freeze Timer Boxes to avoid getting a longer time in time trial mode. Remember all of them in each section of the warp room. You will get a secret warp room and extra levels to find the hidden treasures.

Defeating Crunch Time

Every time freezeballs, beams, or fire comes out, jump over the fence into the inside platform. They cannot touch you there, but fireballs will land everywhere -- just watch for their shadows. There is a series of elements you have to avoid. Then shoot Crunch with the bazooka and spin Cortex. The series is: fireballs, shoot Crunch, spin Cortex, freezeballs, fireballs, shoot Crunch, spin Cortex, fire, fireballs, freezeballs, fire, shoot Crunch, spin Cortex, beams, fireballs, fire, beams, freezballs, fireballs, beams, shoot Crunch, spin Cortex. If you win, you will unlock five secret levels for which you must collect a certain amount of relics in order to open the doors.

Defeating Lo-Lo

Watch where the mask floats and shoot there.

Defeating Py-Ro

Hold B to charge the water cannon or you will never hit.

Defeating: Ro-Ko

Roll around the side of the area without going in the center. Every rock will come near you, and Crunch will mostly miss you.

Defeating Wa Wa

When you are facing Wa Wa, crunch will shoot things at you. He will fire blue beams that you should jump over. When he fires green things, duck. Hop from one panel to another. When you reach Crunch quickly spin. Watch out -- the panels will sink. Try to get a head start on each run. Once Crunch jumps back at the beginning, run. When you spin him the next two times, do not stop running.

Gem locations

To get the following Gems, jump onto the Skull And Crossbones and find your way to the end: